The problem with offering two-day shipping is that it's expensive and cuts into already thin margins. That has forced both Amazon and Walmart to rethink how they ship items, both to their warehouses and stores and to end customers.

We didn’t choose a number one story, and we didn’t even make it a top 10; we’ve got 11 here. As we go into 2019 from 2018, here’s a look back at some of the stories that made the biggest splash in the year about to end.

The Memphis, Tennessee-based company said it had a fiscal second-quarter profit of $935 million, or $3.51 per share. That's up $775 million, or $2.84 per share, a year ago.
But the 11 analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research were expecting earnings of $4.05 per share. FedEx said that if one-time costs are excluded, its quarterly profit per share would have been $4.03.
"While the U.S. economy remains solid, our international business weakened during the quarter, especially in Europe," said FedEx chairman and CEO Fred Smith. "We are taking action to mitigate the impact of this trend through new cost-reduction initiatives."

The trade outlooks for the U.S. and China are positive but slowing as tariffs and other disputes plague the two countries, says DP DHL Group (Xetra: DPW).
As the world’s largest forwarder by volume, the Bonn-based company has good visibility into the world’s freight volumes. And it makes that view the public through its “global trade barometer,” an index of air and ocean freight moving in and out of the world’s largest economies.
Tim Scharwath, chief executive of DHL Global Forwarding and Freight, says the most recent index reading shows, “we are still growing in trade. However, it has slowed down a bit.”

Robert Keen, Director General of the British International Freight Association (BIFA) says that in light of the significance of such news on the work undertaken by BIFA member companies, he was surprised that they have learned about it from a national newspaper, rather than through an official announcement.
“BIFA has had many meetings with both HM Treasury and HMRC in which we highlighted our concerns regarding the capability of the Customs brokerage sector to increase capacity.
“We have explained that the sector already faces a massive shortage of staff of suitable quality.

Due to globalization, the world of e-commerce is moving away from the western world, with 84% of e-commerce sales now coming from outside the US and Europe. The tariffs, borders, and duties that Brexit will enforce across the EU will make trading more challenging and less profitable for UK-based retailers, which is why it’s important that businesses differentiate their income revenues and start to build an action plan for expansion; to tap into these booming, emerging marketplaces.
GFS offers a practical, four-point action plan for delivery to help retailers mitigate the risk of Brexit and accelerate international e-commerce growth.

JLS, which specializes in managing supply chains, came in at number 4,115 on the 37th annual list. According to the news release, only seven other companies have made the list as many times as JLS has. The company said the distinction is “the most prestigious ranking” of high-growth private companies, and the list highlights the most successful small and mid-sized businesses in the country.
W. Michael Jarrett, president of JLS, said the company will continue to grow by sticking with the values that have brought it this far.

Some of the most urbanized cities such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, and Jeddah, among others, have grown rapidly due to a well-developed logistics ecosystem. Any developing country has to take its logistics system seriously and the GCC was always a step ahead since it plays a major role in the economy of countries in the region.
If we just look into land transportation, which is approximately a $9 billion market in the GCC, the development of superior road networks, infrastructure and customs along with government regulations to make possible seamless movement across the borders have been instrumental in the urbanization of many of these countries. The long and well-developed road networks have ensured a smooth ride when these heavy cargos are being transported.